Re: Alocasia dormancy

I wonder if some Alocasias might need a little colder temerature during
their dormant period to get them going again. I have an A. sanderiana that
has been flowering for a good nine months, six flowers and no leafs in that
time. I have central air so the temp in my house never drops below 70
degrees F. The biggest leaves I've seen on this plant were from a couple
years ago when I put it out in a cold frame early spring. After a few days
in the cold frame I got scared I might be pushing my luck so I brought it in
the house where it then proceeded to put out a couple 24" leaves. Since then
it has stayed in the house and the leaves, when it puts them out, haven't
gotten any bigger then 19". I also had a problem with dormant cormels that
I found when transplanting that don't seem to want to grow. If anyone out
there thinks they know how temperature influences growth in a an Alocasis
sp. or have some tricks to break dormancy it might make for a good
contribution to the journal.
Gabe Thomas
zone 8
cdanielle@prodigy.net
From: <Richard_Berry@doh.state.fl.us>
To: Multiple recipients of list AROID-L <aroid-l@mobot.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 07, 2000 7:16 PM
Subject: RE: Alocasia dormancy
> I have encountered this problem, I have about 35 different Alocasias. My
> experience is to let patience rule. Sometimes new growth will begin only
> after months of inactivity. Alocasias have minds of their own and they
grow
> when they want to grow, sometimes with no logical plan!
>
>